University of South Carolina Libraries
COLUMBIA. * Tuesday Morning, May 1,1886. Rte? ('Hitan. The subject of labor for th* pro? duction of rice is attracting much attention both' South ami North. Ric?is tv great staple of the world, and the prevailing opinion, even here where the experience of many years have contributed to the formation o? that opinion--ia that white labor can? not be made available on the rice fields of the South. Newspapers in the Northern aa well as the Southern States have been discussing the feasibility of intro? ducing coolies for the special purpose of cultivating rice. A year or two will decide whether any reliance can be placed upon the freed negro labor in raising rice. The Norfolk Vir? ginian goes in for the introduction of coolie labor. It says: "The malaria of the rice fields is fatal to the Caucasian, and no more certain death can be incurred than thai which follows exposure on tho great plantations of the Pee Dee and Savannah after dark. It is equal to prussic acid-not so swift, but as in? fallible: "There is a race, however, which can be made available for rice cul? ture, and it will not be until the Orient has been made tributary to our necessities that this great staple, can again be grown to any considera? ble extent. The coolies are the people who can do this work; who eau stand the climate; who will do it, and gladly too, for a compensation far below that of half the crop, which, to them, would be what the posses? sion of Aladdin's lamp or a roc's egg would havo been to ns-the realiza? tion of a fable-the substantiation of magic. They are inured to a burn? ing sun; they are docile, and ea?ly subsisted. Contracts could be made for their^toaportatton." So far as we have heard from the rice country, and this opinion is for? tified by the observation of Dr. Irving, who recently visited the plan? tations, that the freed labor cannot be relied on for the production of anything like a full crop of rico. We also leam that a similar condition of things exists in our neighboring States of Georgia and North Carolina. This condition may improve as our political relations get more settled, Xbut it might be well to prepare for r the worst, and at least make the ex? periment ir\ coolie labor. Msnafoctniing. William Gregg, Esq., who has been in Europe for some months past, has just returned, having purchased abroad a complete outfit of new ma? chinery for his factory, at Granite ville. Tho machinery has been al? ready shipped to Savannah and Charleston. It is determined, as we learned some weeks ago from our Augusta exchanges, to fit up this factory with this new machinery-the old being advertised for sale-which is intend? ed for the manufacture of the finest descriptions of cotton cloth, shirt? ings, sheetings, kc., and we presume a bleaching and probably a printing establishment will be added. Here? tofore, nothing but cotton oanaburgs and heavy brown sheetings and shirt? ings were made at Groniteville. This movement of the Graniteville Com? pany will be followed up by other manufacturing establishments. The Saluda Factory, under the energetic management of Col. Childs, is being reconstructed, and will be filled up with new machinery. Vau olause is also being renovated. We presume that in other Southern States the same spirit of improvement has taken hold of the capitalists and busi? ness men, and we trust the day is not distant when tho hum of machinery will be heard along the water courses of the Southern conntry. The sodden ?.hange in our system of labor almost necessitates a change of the invest? ments of our capitalists and business men, as well as a change in the em? ployment of those whose labor it is to assist in developing the resources of the South. TRIAL OF MR. DA VU.-Wo learn from thc Washington Republican, now the official organ, that the "law officer of the Government, under in? structions of the President, is pre? paring to have Jeffersou Davis ar? raigned before the United States Circuit Court of Virginia, which meets at Norfolk, Va., on the first Monday in May, upon the charge o? high treason; and that nothing will prevent this action but the interven? tion of Congress or the refusal ol Chief Justice Chase to try the cane." ?? . i i fe -r- I 1 Tke Ctiolcr?. [.,-- Th? ?ear Y?rlL.g*pa?8 of Thursday [i?y thai the cholera is . still raging pwifh unabated rigor oh .boar? th? : hoepita? 'Wiip. /Notwith8t?o<ling the efforts of the medical attendants on board the Ilhn?is, the disease- con? tin?es every BOW and then tri attack so?ie one ot tho passengers, and, in consequence, a l>oat is kept constant? ly plying between the hospital ship and this vessel, in readiness to carry off the "new cases." Seven new eases occurred on board the Illinois on Wednesday. Mr. Reardon, one of the party whc volunteered to go^on board the Eng? land at Halifax, has since sickened and died of the cholera; and Dr. John Slater, health officer o? thc port of Halifax, who also volunteered to attend the sick on board the ship, has fallen a victim to tlie disease. The Herald, of the 28th, says thc cholera is abating at the Lower <Jua rantine, and no new cases have beer admitted on board thc hospital shir since thc last report of the Depntj Health Officer. ^_ The Frrcdmcn'i Burrau. It has been already mentioned thal Generals Steedman and Fullerton had been sent South by President Johnson, for the purpose of investi gating the operations of the Freed men's Bureau, nud reporting npor the social and political status of tin Southern States. They aro repre sented as being fair-minded and cour teous gentlemen, -who will give a trm and faithful account of the conditioi of affairs at the South. Their mer? appointment by President Johnson ii sufficient evidence that he has conti I dence in their honesty and sincerity They have probably arrived at Wil mington, N. C., by this time. The Fortress Monroe correspond eut of tho Norfolk Virginian write the following: "I have been given to understand on good authority, that the opinioi formed by these commissioners is that the freedmen's Bureau ought t< be immediately and universally abo lished, if its modus operandi is simi larry conducted, and productive o i similar results ?vs characterizes tb* [ administration of its affairs in thi District. From its control over th negro population, now over-crowdin? the lands of the Peninsula, and th. false teaching of many of the officer lof too radical proclivities, holdinj important positions, and exercisinj an almost monarchical influence ii its jurisdiction, must be attribute! the growing evils of laziness, vice theft, and a host of other unmit?gatei annoyances which are daily becomini more and more alarming.'" There is little doubt bnt if th freedmen in many localities were nc interfered with, they would do mud j better than they do under the admin istratiou of the Bureau. The State being restored, we tl link the ntilit of the Bureau will have passed nwav -?.,?_ Thc Sicw Progruiuinr. The telegraph announces tim nc programme of the Reconst ruct io Committee. Of course, the mengi sketch given by a telegram is scarce] sufficient to warrant any lengthy cou ments. According to the heads give in the despatch, this proposition simply what correspondents of new papers have already foreshadowed giving equal protection by law to al representation according to thc nun ber of voters in each State; repndi tion of the Southern war debt, A: But the most important feature . the report is the disfranchisement every male Southern citizen fro voting for members of Congress ai Presidential electors; that is, no pe son can vote in such elections wi voluntarily adhered to the late inst! rection, or gave it aid and comfoi This is more sweeping than the ti oath now requisite to hold offi under the United States Governmei President Johnson will squelch sn I a bill if it should pass Congress. I They have said nothing about i gro suffrage, thinking, probably, t!i by not insisting *upon this, th might rope in to tho support of t i measure some stray conservativ. and possibly obtain the sanction the Executive. But we predict, tl ' a measure embracing such an absi j proposition as that alluded to abc I will be a failure. -^.^ A captain in the late Fenian ex 1 dition to Eastport says that thc oi , hope now is in the Roberts Swee ; organization. The steamer with 1 , retiring Feivians on board arrived ; Portland on the 28th. A muti ; occurred among the most disci tented of them, and a threateni ! demonstration wasmade against th , officers; but a few ring-loaders bei put ashore, quiet prevailed ; ; ? i-a ; M?y-Oay. , !Up and awii)-.! . "tis a holiday! Come, lads and lassT, with merry f#oes, To the May. jib verm Behold the grasa ia pranckt with daisie?, > Tho banks with flowers. LThe eun is flingm* en waters glancing I HJs^arly Mght; *Thebird? aro singing, and branches danc? ing. At the glad sieht. Come, lot us rush in tho maze of boughs, And meet at the May-pole to dance and carouse; * t ? Ho thalMSjfiat's?*fll>e. Jack in Ute Oreen, And theBXW%Hs\ fess shall be crown'd oar c;jfaigies <mrf Gravities. To-d^i8~Tfflty?!fty, a day which, though it rio longer comes wreathed with the smiles it wore in the days of romance, is still welcomed, and in some places celebrated, by tho yoong of all classes, with delight. It has become the fashion with many, in these dp y s of transcendant sapience, to heap ridicule and scorn on tho in? nocent "and fanciful customs of the "Good OM Times;" btit, without being blind admirers of thc rough and boisterous sport* of antiquity, we cannot help regretting that the festivities which one? hailed the opening of this mouth, and which served at least to diversify the still life of existence with an occasional glimpse of the picturesque, have sunk into neglect. The games of May-day were the most delightful ?nd joyous of all the ancient pastimes. It was no "holiday dependent on the rubric, or tho musty fables of monks 01 saints; it is a jubilee of nature's own appointing, when tho earth, dressing herself up in flowers and green gar lands, calls aloud to her children te come out into the fields, and partid pato in all her merry-making.'' Thc sports of the day wore formerly sharec by all ranks of people; and an earh writer informs us that Henry Vii" and his beauteous tpieen used to risi with the sun of May morning, to par take of May-day sports, and after wards diverted themselves with shoot ing birds in the woods, and in rnstdi festivity consumed the evening Shukspeare says it was impossible ti make the people sleep on May-eve ami that they rose early to observ the rite of May. Stubbs, in his declamation againe ' Male, tells us that "every parish towns and village assemble themselve together, both men, women and chil dren, old and young, even all iudit ferently; and, either going altogethc or dividying themselves into comp.' nies, the goo some to tho wood?, and groves, some to thu hills au mountains, some to one place, an some to another, where the spend u the night in pas ty mes. " Yet we uni! not allow his invective as unexcej tionable evidence of the mildness < the weather which could allow of an such cool and airy revels. He hi evidently overcharged his pictutt notwithstanding his l>oast of tl "credible reports" he liad recent from "men of great? gravitie, credi and reputation." In London, the May game pagean ! were supported with great spirit; tl ! citizens used to sally out in the mor ing a Maying, and return with tl i spoils of tho fields and woods, accor I panied with archers, morris-dancer j und other shows. Every parish usi ; to hiivo its May-pole, though som i times two parishes joined in the ce! : brutton; and we are told that once 1 pole wiis erected in the middle of t ? street, before the church of "St. A drew Undershaft, " of such keig that it overtopped the steeple. A lc and lady of the May were chosen preside over the sports. "The May-pole is np, Now, give mo tho cup, I'll drink to the garlands around it But first unto those ' j Whoso hands did compose j The glory of flower? that crown'd it One can readily imagino, si Irving, what a gay scene it must lu been in jolly old London, when t doors were decorated with tlo\ I brunches; when every hat was de rated with hawthorn; and Ro' ? Hood, friar Tuck, Maid Marian, j morris-dancers, and all the other t " i tastic musks and revellers, were ] ( i forming their unties about the M pole in every part of the city. . are told that, on this occasion, Ro . I Hood presided us the lord of May "With coat of Lincoln green, and mat I j tOo, ? And horn of ivorv month, and bu bright, And arrows winged with peacock t'eatl i light, And trusty bow well gathered of yew;" ' whilst near, crowned as lady of , May, Maul Marian - , "With eves of bk Shining through dusky air,like star r! night, . And habited in pretty forest plight , ! This greenwood beauty sits, yoong ai [j dew." , And then, too, in a subsequent si of the pageant, were seeu - ^' -ggjj? ? in i "Thc aroher men itt green, with belt ?nd bow, Feasting on pheasant, river-fowl, a-ud ?wau, With Hobin at their head and Marian." The puritans fought a stubborn battle with the May-poles, those "heathenish vanities of superstition and wickedness," whose fall is d? I plored by the author of f - sqnil's Palinodia, in verses of extraordinary 1 harmony, considering the time when they were composed : Happy the ago. and harmless were the I days, For then true love and amity were found, I When every village did a May-pole raise. And Whitsun ale? and May games did abound; And all the lusty yonkers in a rout, ' With merry lasses danced the n>d abont ; [ Then friendship th the banquet bid the guests The poor men fed thc better for their feasts. Alas, poor May-poles! what should be the cause That yon were almost banisht from the earth? Wno never were rebellious to the lawes. Your greatest crime was honest, harm? less mirth. The May-poles never held up their heads again. The last upon record was held in London, and was begged by Sir Tsaac Newton as a stand foi Iiis great telescope. The morris dancers, and Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian, rallied after the Restoration, although somewhat shorn of theil former glory. It was the custom during the Maj festival to suspend a silver do vi- fron tho roof of the church, and to let it slowly down during some part of th< service, as an emblem of the descent of the Holy Ghost. In the churches in France, under the early races, Un host was sometimes kept in a shrim made in tho shape of a dove, and sus pended over the altar. The following verses refer to the custom : On Whitsunday whyte pigeons tame ii strings from heaven ilie, And ore- that franc1.1 i-, of wood, stil hanleth in the skie, Thou seest how they with idols plaie, an. teach the people to, N?> other wise than little, gyrles with pil[j pvt? use to do. The following carol for "May-day which has much of the sweetness o Herrick's poety, without any of it quaintnesses, is by Bishop Heber: Queen of fresh flower.-. Whom vernal stars obey, bring the wann showers, Bring thy genial ray. In nature's greenest livery drest. Descend on earth's expectant breaai, To earth and heaven a welcome guest, Thou merry month of May! Mark how we meet thee At dawn of dewey day! Hark! how Wo greet thee. With our loundelay! While all the goodly thing.-, that be lu earth, and air, and ampler sea, Are waking up to welcome thee. Thou merry month of May! Flocks on the mountains And birds upon their spray. Tree, turf, and fountains, All bold hobday; And love, tho life of living things, Love waves his torch, love claps his wing And loud and wide thy praises sim,'*, Thou merry month of May! Mr. Punch, whose authority on au subject few will dare to con trover declares that the stories as to Mr dances and May-poles are altogeth delusive. Hu proves this by a mo conclusive reduct io fid abs urdu) j showing by pencil and pen a Kt'??' j of deluded unfortunates, who ha I attempted to get up a dance after tl ! traditional form. The pole is du I garlanded, and the joyous band tr I round it on "the light, fantastic toe ; in the approved style of fetes cha, peters. But the pole is surmount : by a huge umbrella to protect its gt ' lauds from tba pitiless rain whi j pours down in torrents, and the c< j tunic of the ladies and gentlem j consists of patterns and plaid eloal i mackintoshes and mufflers, upj j benjamins and umbrellas, and t I traditional green sward is complet j swamped by puddles of actual m and water; and provident hon maids, with petticoats carefully ra is? | are placing wash-tubs to catch t streams which pour from the sa i rated umbrellas of the festive throi i Though nearly all the festivit with which the opening of this moi j was formerly welcomed, have bi j scouted by the unfeeling hand of i ! dei n wisdom, Nature has not ab \ doned her festivities. Slit? still S? j tera dowers, and revels in dews; : j still loves lier haly garniture, : I the burst of unoppressive sun ?hi J she still loves the rippling of stream, the low murnini- of the w j among the broom, and the lunn i the bee extracting hom y from I heather-blossom. Though we denis may deny to May the joy attributes with which our fore fat! delighted to invest her, and her (1 ; are often like a congregation of < dren, sulky, sour, und tearful, ' is May a gladsome month wit when tlie In-art expands with j and eye and ear take in their feas ? beauty and music. Towards thee of tho month Spring seems ) and we are surrounded by ?ll. the beauty, sunshine, and melody, which mingle in our ideas of Summer. The trees curtsey to and fro as they feel herwarax breath, the violet ?nd the rose kiss her garment's hem with their ponting lii>s, and the birds strain their little throats with songs of joy ?nil gladness. "Butterflies take their wavering flight from flower to flower, and dragon-flies on the bunks of rivers. The meadows are golden w ith crow-foot, and the mow? ing-grass presents u mosaic of thc most gorgeous and inimitable hues, or Ls white with waving umbels." From Colombia. A traveling correspondent of Un Richmond Titnett, after reaching tliis city on the 20th ult., thus speak; of it and its inhabitants: Arriving at Columbia, I at one? j procured most excellent accommo i dations at a private boarding house j corner of Camden and Marion street? j (Mrs. Bawls,) where transient am Ipermanent boarders can obtain pet feet accommodation. The people of Columbia are stil smarting under the destruction of th town by fire. Nor can we condem j those who suffered by the wholesal j incendiarism for lamenting the coi: duct of the subjects of "tho bes j Government the world ever saw. ! What remains of Columbia is perfec ly beautiful. The people tell me thi before the fire it was considered th prettiest town of its size in tl South, and possibly the Unioi j Certainly the houses are graceful! j enshrouded with very thick foliag ? and built with taste. Not a mei looking house appears on aprominei I street. Not so in Richmond. The . one street presents a variety of styl I aud siy.es. Here each mansion is tl j centre of a flower garden, and tl ; streets ure lined with so much Uve j foliage that the adjoining houses CJ i hardly be distinguished until y< j peep under the 1 ?.aves in front. Tl j "forefathers" of this city, in adoptii j these arrangements, must have searc ; ed out tho beauties of fabled worl ! and tried to picture a proper rot rc for American houris. The middle the streets in length is lined with perfect row of sliade, and so . either side. The college camp indeed is much moro inviting th Capitol Square of your city. C lumhia has, or will soon have, ma advantages by land*for a more acti trade than now exists. Some of yu capitalists should come down h< and build. Here the money is nc< ed, and here, iu time, you may get I back with interest. There is only one newspaper pi linked here-t?ie Columbia Phoenix by Julian A. Selby. Esq.. win ; industrious efforts have met all 1 ; requirements of the advertising pi lie. j There ure numerous banks hen ? banks of mortar and broken bri I but not a National bank, unless th j may be considered aa ruined national authority. Unlike floo< Richmond in this regard, it can deplore the presence of a paper j e:u*h ward, and a National bank each street. With you everything ! national -National Leg n?d A \ Company, National Ranks, Natic Express, National Soup Hoi National Saloons. &c.-everyth ! extremely loyal. Attending the Trinity (Episco j Church on Sunday, I heard an a j minister chant from manuscript. 1 I choir on that day consisted of < j two members, the organist an< base singer, who did all the sing \ Another evidence of the hard ti ; here, I saw in the burial ground I tacked to this church. Some g wretch had cleanly scraped out gilt filling of thc large letters in ; inscription npon one of the nu ' monta, j The young ladies here are no womanish as some I have seen where. At the Trinity Church I a young lady of about eighteen 3 of age, and tall ns the ceiling, wore a dress that is usually seen i j a child of ten years. Indeed, I novelty was striking; and how u ' more so if I could have import* gay young trow,at of ten years i your city, with trailing cloak queenly airs, for company with ; unsophisticated lady. The exhib upon the public street, in either}: j by comparison, would excite I liveliest emotions. < ^ ?? > EMPORTANT JOINT RESOLUTT j Mr. Orth lias introduced inte United States House of Repres ' ti vos a joint resolution which, in ! ot' the present ?nd prospective bles of our sister republics on continent, assumes more than 1 flinn rv importance. It provide j the Secretary of War and the ! tnry of the Navy be authorize instructed, under the direction President, to sell and trans? such number and quantity a> may deem advisable, any of til sels, arms and munitions of w longing to the United States,! Government on the American neut holding diplomatic rel with the United States, and to r payment therefor in coin or bonds of such Government, resolution is supposed to have I once to aiding the Mexicans I pelling Maximilian I Liooal Items. ! Mortgages and Conveyance's of Rec.. BM? i tat* for sale at thia office. j fte ar? indebted to John Agnew, Esq.. I for copies of New York papers ?if the 2flth ! twenty-four boara ahead of tlie mail. We received a visit, last night, from T. A. Hayden, Esq., ot the Spart anburg h> press. He will remain ia Columbia for .? few days. I By reference to .our advertising column*, j it will be seen that a company tit- genuinr j Ethiopian Minstrels will give a conoeHJhi? j evening, at Gibbes' Hall. N, j Owing to the reduction in the cost of I printing paper, and the tumble in price? generally, we have reduced the anbserip tion to the Phatair as follows Daily paper, one year. . sd.Oii Daily paper, per month. 7n Tri-weekly, one year.... -. 3.00 ! Tri-weeklV, per month. 50 i REXOYAL.-The office of the National j Express Company baa boen removed to j the bnilding formerly occupied by Mr. ; Watson, on Washington street, opposite i the ruins of the jail. i DKNTISTBT. -Thc card of Dr. Smith ap j pears in onr columns this morning. He is i a thoroughly practical man, and will doubt* ' leas give satisfaction to ali persons needing I his services. j Messrs. C. N. Averill A Son advertise I their rates of commission for forwarding, j in this morning's paper. The experience ' of the linn in their line of business is a ; guaranty of their ability to satisfy the ; community in general. . DEPARTURE UF TRI; 25TH OHIO V. Y. The companies of thia regiment, Lieuten I ant-Colonel Haughton commanding, who ! have garrisoned this city for nearly a year ; past, left yesterday morning for Sommer ! ville, having been relieved by several com j panics of L'nited States regnlara, under j command nf Colonel Green. IJent. Col. ' Haughton was a strict disciplinarian, and j kept the city pretty quiet. Coder the ad ? ministration of Col. Green and his "renti j lars," wo have no doubt but that good . order will be maintained. STABBING AFFRAY.-Private A J. Haw i kins, of Company A,25th Ohio Volunteers, j was, on Sunday evening last, assaulted by j George and James Windsor, and severely j wounded by the former in the face and ab ! domen. We do not know the cause of the j assault. James Windsor and Mrs. Wind i HOI-, who, it appears, waa present, have , been arrested aud lodged in jaiL George j Windsor has not yet been arrested. The ; soldier lies in a very precarious condition at the Freedmen's Hospital, under the charge of Drs. Goodwyn and Sylvester. MAY PARTIES AND PIC-NICS.-We know j that we shall please the votaries of Terpsi 1 chore when we inform them that they can ! now obtain thc use of a commodious room, j in a delightful situation for the enjoyment 1 of thc pleasures incident to this season i as Clark Waring, Esq., the contractor, has just finished laying the flooring in Messrs. I*. D. Childs A Co.'s large factory, on the Saluda River, and the gentlemanly and obliging proprietors have expressed their willingness to allow our citizens the use of it for dancing. The room is suffi? ciently large to accommodate half a dozen separate and distinct parties. FIRE.-A destructive fire broke ont yes? terday morning, about 2 o'clock, in the stable of Captain' John H. Heise, on Ball street. The building was totally des t ruy ed, together with ita contents-a horse, two sets of harness, wagon, piano, (saved from a previous Are, in a slightly damaged con? dition,) etc. The fire then extended to the adjacent building, occupied by Messrs. Shelton, Calvo & Walsh, as a grocery store, which was also entirely destroyed, with the contents, excepting the books, which were saved through the foret hough t of a colored man occupying the adjoining building. From the grocery store, the flamee spread ! to another wooden building, occupied by ' Isaac Smith's and several other colored j families. A portion of the contents of this ! building were saved. ; Captain Heiae's loss exceeds $1,500-un j insured. He states that when he wa? 1 aroused by the err of fire, and went into j the yard, the heat was so intense, that he could not get within twenty feet of the burning building; and as there were two planks off the side of the stable, bis feel ings were harrowed by the sight of a fa? vorite horse being burnt to death--the mane and tait of the an ?mal being actually i tn a Wo? at the time. Messrs. Shelton, Calvo A Wash were fully '? insured, in the Underwriters' Insurance ; Company. The stable was owned by Capt. j Heise, and the two other buildings by D. P. Kelly, Esq. The tire- was, no doubt, the work of an incendiary. This ia the first conflagration of any importance which bas occurred since Columbia was Sheruiauized, in February, 1S<>5. Aa there are no mea?.., " of extending a general alarm, the firemen were late in making their appearaaee, aud therefore could tender little, if any, ser? vice. We sincerely hope that arrangements will bc made immediately for a proper alarm; otherwise, the consequeucea ma? be terrible. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. -Attention is cad? ell to the following advertisements, which are published this morning for the first time. - - True Brotherhood Lodge Meeting. Dr. Geo. Smith-Dentistry, j Dial A Pope-Axemen Wanted. Concert at Gibbes' Hall. samuel J. Perrin Mule Taken Up. P. Cantwell-Smoked Provisions. Muller * Semi-Ale, Tortor, Ac. Richard Caldwell-Hay, Corn, Ac. C. H. Baldwin-Furniture for Sale. I Cor. Bull and Camdon Ste-Spectacles ; John C. Seegers - Fresh Groceries.